U.S. farm exports will rise 5.1 percent to a record in the next fiscal year as overseas buyers pay more for tight supplies of crops damaged by the worst drought in 50 years, the government forecast.
The value of shipments will increase to $143.5 billion in the year starting Oct. 1 from a revised $136.5 billion in the current year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said yesterday in a quarterly report. Export revenue from corn, the biggest U.S. crop, will rise 3.4 percent to $12.1 billion while volume declines as the drought pushes grain prices to records.

U.S. farm exports will rise 5.1 percent to a record in the next fiscal year as overseas buyers pay more for tight supplies of crops damaged by the worst drought in 50 years, the government forecast.
The value of shipments will increase to $143.5 billion in the year starting Oct. 1 from a revised $136.5 billion in the current year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said yesterday in a quarterly report. Export revenue from corn, the biggest U.S. crop, will rise 3.4 percent to $12.1 billion while volume declines as the drought pushes grain prices to records.

Consumers shouldn’t pay more for organic food because of what it adds to their diets, research suggests. The only gain may come from what it doesn’t add.
Organic foods that account for $27 billion in U.S. grocery sales offer no more vitamins and nutrients than conventional products, according to a review of 240 studies done at Stanford University in California. The research, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, did find lower levels of pesticides in produce and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in meat.

While Hurricane Isaac may have dumped rain on many parts of the midwest, the long term drought has affected the Mississippi River such that some segments are lower than normal, impacting the flow of river traffic. Shipments of corn and soybeans are being delayed as brokers, farmers, and barge captains work to find routes that can move cargo.

Mashable, a mainstream technology media and social media website, highlights how farmers and ranchers are using social media and digital technology to share how farming is accomplished. The article highlights the AgChat Foundation and its efforts through Twitter chats and Facebook to provide broad understanding of agriculture.

Great story on Baker's Green Acres raising pigs whose breed has been classified by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as invasive, thus pitting government against a viable business.
"If 'the tail is either curly or straight, you can be a felon for owning that hog,' says Michigan state Sen. Joe Hune."
I am sharing this not because of the issue (invasive species, etc) but because this NPR piece is really good. NPR does great work at using the various media forms (news blog post, pictures, video, and audio) to tell a story. The news post and the audio can be read or listened to without the other and the audience will still understand the story.
OK, the pig picture is cute. Though in the flesh I am sure the black hair is not all fuzzy and cute:)

The word from the countryside seems to be that there is some mold out there, but it's not a big problem—yet. Both agronomists and grain elevator managers think it could still be a major problem before the season is over. Dry years like this one favor the development of molds on ears, particularly Aspergillus mold. It produces aflatoxin, which can make livestock go off feed or become sick. There are also low levels allowed in grain going for human consumption, or into products that humans will use, such as corn starch.

The good news is the House Agriculture Committee approved its version of the 2012 farm bill. The bad news is the House Agriculture Committee approved its version of the 2012 farm bill.
These divergent headlines frame the range of reactions of House Republicans to the five-year omnibus food and agriculture legislation that is sure to give Speaker Boehner, if not the mother, than certainly the daughter of the mother of all headaches.

A free speech lawsuit against the Kansas State Fair has been threatened by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
At issue is a 13-minute video PETA wants to show at its booth at the Kansas State Fair containing undercover images from slaughterhouses and factory farms. The video, narrated by ex-Beatle and vegetarian Paul McCartney, is described as “gruesome” by PETA.

This is an example of why people in agriculture need to consider themselves not as farmers and ranchers, but as part of a food ecosystem, above and beyond reproach. If there is any distrust, then the food ecosystem as a whole suffers.